Vatican holds its 'first paedophilia trial'

11/07/2015

The first ever trial of a former Vatican official accused of child sex crimes is to open at the Holy See in what is viewed as belated Church efforts to battle child abusers among the clergy.

The unprecedented trial starting on Saturday will hear the case of former Polish archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, who is accused of possessing child pornography in Rome in 2013-14, and the sexual abuse of minors during his 2008-13 stint as the Vatican nuncio, or ambassador, in the Dominican Republic.

Wesolowski, 66, was secretly recalled from his posting in 2012 after the Church hierarchy was informed that he was regularly paying young Dominican boys for sexual services.

He was defrocked by a Church court in June 2014 but remained free until September, when he was placed under house arrest - reportedly for reasons of failing health - under an order the Vatican said came directly from Pope Francis.

His trial marks the first legal proceedings against a church official under a Vatican justice system redesigned by Francis in response to accusations of sexual abuse of children by priests that have multiplied as thousands of victims have spoken out around the world.

If Wesolowski is convicted in the trial, in which the judge, defence lawyer and prosecutors are all Italian lay people, he could face a six-year prison sentence - more if aggravated circumstances are found - which he could serve in Vatican detention facilities.

He is seen as a test case in Francis's push to take a more active role in prosecuting predators in the face of accusations from abuse victims, their families and supporters that the Catholic Church has not done enough to identify and punish paedophiles in its midst.

According to the Italian-language weekly Panorama, the tribunal may request testimony from Dominican deacon Francisco Javier Occi Reyes, who was arrested in Santo Domingo accused of having put Wesolowski in contact with minors.

The first day of the proceedings will be open to the public, and the trial is then expected to recess before reconvening in September.

At that time Wesolowski's lawyers may motion for it to continue in closed session.

While the case marks the first time a Vatican court will hear child sexual abuse charges against a former Church official, it is not the first time its legal process has been used to hear charges of alleged wrongdoing.

In 2012 the Vatican tribunal drew world-wide attention when it heard a case against Paolo Gabriele, Pope Benedict's former personal butler, for accusations he leaked secret documents to the press.